I get asked all the time what is working out there in the wild world of sales.  I try to really find things that are not gimmicks but will deliver solid results.  There have been some really progressive marketing tactics that are actually showing solid traction.  Cost Per Click when it first came around seemed like the golden child, but for many of the small businesses owners out there it was difficult to understand and use on a regular basis.  I would hear from many clients that they didn’t check their account over the weekend and they came in Monday morning with a huge spike in traffic and a hefty fee.  I know you say: “that is their stupidity and they should monitor their account”.  I agree to some extent, but most small businesses owners don’t have the time to get over the CPC learning curve.  By the time you figure it out you just wasted a ton of cash and now have killed your marketing resources.  When you first get started you need simple and effective marketing strategies that you can see tangible results from immediately.  For this reason I love the services provided by Mobile Storm.  I had tried Constant Contact and some of the other permission based e-mail systems, but I was blown away with the Stun system from Mobile Storm.  Not only was it easy to use, it has some of the most effective tools I have seen in one application.  If you are not familiar with either of these two companies, their services help you market to your list of clients, subscribers, leads etc.  The Stun system lets you create web application forms for your website so you can collect your opt in list.  It then lets you create press releases, updates, and sales letters that can be sent once or on a continual basis.  You can see who opens, reads, and clicks on links within your e-mail communication, you also have SMS text messaging, direct mail, fax, and permission based Voice Mail communication.  I look forward to putting together my new training videos on the weekend and using the Stun system Monday morning to see who opened my e-mails, clicked on the training videos and who hasn’t.  It’s pretty cool to get instant results telling you who took the time to read what you had to say.  You also know what e-mails are working and which ones don’t.  

 

 

Ok, so now you know Mobile Storm has a really effective tool to help you keep in touch with your opt in list of subscribers.  Now you want to know how to create more leads for yourself and build up that opt in list.  Well I have a solution for you here too.  The guys over at Redclay media and marketing have helped more than a handful of my clients get off the ground fast.  So fast, that individual mortgage offices have recommended them to corporate after seeing the first month of results.  Redclay has been working with data for years.  They know how to pinpoint the customers you want to find in the geographic location you desire.  We work with Redclay to tag all direct mail sent out on your behalf.  It used to be that tracking direct mail campaigns was something you did with an Excel report and was very hard to really get a handle on.  People would call into your company from a US mail piece you sent them, but what happens if they don’t pass through a receptionist that tracks all the calls?  If it goes straight through to a salesperson how do you know they tracked the call?  With the new Lifecycle system we work with the direct mail providers so you get tracking on every call.  Not only do we track it, we also give you the phone numbers so you can call proactively before the mail piece is sent.  Now you have automated e-mail, text messaging, click to call, and power dialing on every single lead you purchase or create.  It’s no time to waste money, you need results to keep your boat afloat. 

 

Stop wasting and start spending some weekend time learning how to use tools that help you become a sales professional.  The new breed of sales professionals is more equipped then ever to make the big sale.  Stop relying on management to provide your every need or hoping your old tactics will still work.  This new breed of salesperson and manager uses tools that help them take many small battles right to the door of the customer.  You can’t expect the sales to come in like they used to in the mortgage boom of 2002.  That time is over, and the only way for you to be successful is to get more out of your marketing dollars.  Back in 2002 you would try new lead providers because it didn’t matter who you bought from.  Now you can’t afford to waste $500 on a test campaign.  Here are the four necessary needs for success of any small business: 

 

 

ü      Selective purchasing

Lead Providers, Marketing Sources

You need to know what marketers are performing before you buy, and you need tools to help you see what sources are working after you buy

                                   

           

ü      Company growth

 Sales Staff

Staff up and staff down based on phone calls made, closed deals, e-mails sent, and sales improvement.  If you can’t measure performance you can’t effectively hire and fire. 

 

ü      Drip Marketing

Phone Call, E-Mail, Text Message, Power Dialer, Direct Mail, Voice, and Fax

Without marketing strategies to recruit, retain, and collect customers you won’t last your first year anniversary.

ü      Company exposure

Website, Search Optimization, Yellow Pages, Online Directories, and Blog

Image is everything! Stop putting up cookie cutter 1980’s style websites.  You want to stand out, not blend in.  

 

 

It always amazes me when we have a new client on that hasn’t really thought about any of these four very important categories necessary for success.  Every small business owner should be thinking about these things.  Fortunately, there are companies that have a consultative approach that can help you take control of your business and get measurable results.             

 

 

 

www.RedClayMedia.com

www.MobileStorm.com